Acting or Not?
by Belles7
Summary: "You're never going to catch me, Sakura. I'm in a different world than you." "Well, then, I'll just have to enter your world and beat you senseless." Modern AU. ItaSakuSasu. The pair will be determined as we go. Feel free to review which pair you want.
1. Chapter 1

-x-x-x-

I remember the first time I met him. I was six and school was out for summer break. It was by the river, away from the hotel my father owned. After greeting people and doing some chores around the hotel, I ran to the river, my secret hiding place. Usually, no one went there and that was exactly why I liked the place.

This time was different; when I got there, there was a boy standing on a large rock. He was tossing pebbles, standing with his back to me. I crept and hid behind a bush, eyeing him with suspicion and uncertainty. Should I go back to the hotel? No, if I did, I'd have to work more. I swallowed quietly as I could and stared through the green bush.

Minutes passed by and I grew tired, impatient to be more specific. So, I got onto my feet and stomped out into the clearing. I stared at him, remaining silent. I was waiting for him to turn and look at me, but he remained facing the same direction he was before. He smiled softly and said, "I knew you'd come out eventually."

I took a step back. "You knew I was already here? When?"

He smiled again and turned to fully face me. "The moment you arrived."

I arched a brow. "Are you lying?"

He shrugged and sat down on the large rock.

Shaking my head, I demanded, "Why are you here?"

He was tossing pebbles again. "What do you mean? Is this private land?"

I glared at the blue river, muttering, "It's private to me."

He nodded and hopped off the large rock, walking towards me. I stood where I was only to find that he was a good foot taller than me. I lifted my head to look at him and he kept his hands in his pale blue shorts. He wore a black shirt with no sleeves; his attire was fitting since it was summer.

"What?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"I'd like to remain here. I assure you I will not bother you." His dark eyes were on me and I felt pressured by his stare. I looked at him; he talked like he was old, old like an adult. He stood straight and tall, like he was a prince. Mama told me that only princes stood like that. So, naturally, my young mind began to imagine him as a prince.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought, and he cocked his head at me. "Is that a no?"

I shook my head and clarified, "Y-you can stay, just keep your word."

He smiled and retreated back to the rock. I watched him easily scale and sit on the rock. He went back to staring and tossing pebbles. I made sure to keep my distance. Unfortunately, I was curious as to why he was sitting on the rock I usually sat on when I was sad.

-x-x-x-

_The present_

Sakura stepped off the train and smiled when she spotted her father. She ran over to him, dragging her luggage, and hugged him. He patted her back and stepped back, doing what he usually did, sizing her up and measuring their heights.

"You've grown taller, Sakura!"

She laughed, waving at him half-heartedly. "It's the boots, dad."

He chuckled and said, "I suppose you're still shorter than me?"

She nodded, grabbing her luggage now. "Five feet, three inches, dad."

He snapped his finger. "Damn and here I thought you were still my little girl. I remember when you were this tall." He placed a hand to his knee. "Then, you grew to here." His hand moved up to his waist and Sakura groaned. "Dad, not in public. Come on, let's go home."

He led the way to the car, beaming. "It's good to have you back, Saks."

She smiled, but couldn't help feeling a painful tug at her heart. It had been six years since her parents divorced; she was only ten when it happened. She stayed at her dad's place during the summer and holidays. The rest of the time, she stayed at her mom's place in the city of Tokyo.

As they drove away from the train station, Sakura basked in the scenery of Konoha, the little town she grew up in. The town was named after the village Konoha from the story about famous warriors and the art of shinobis. She spotted her favorite ice cream shop, the one her parents would treat her to every sunday noon. She leaned back against the leather seat and stared ahead.

"So, how's school? Don't you go to that art academy or something like that?"

"School is going fine. By the way, dad, it was called Tokyo Academy of Arts."

"Right, I keep forgetting. Getting old, Saks, getting old. Do they teach you the normal stuff, you know, like math and science and history?"

"Of course they do, dad. It still is a school even though it focuses heavily on the arts."

"How good are you in math?"

"Dad, I'm sixteen and I'm in Calculus. Is that good?"

"Hmm...Mebuki made sure you got your education alright."

"Yeah, mom's always been the academic person. She had me jump math levels."

"How'd you do that?"

"Took courses during the summer to get ahead. Remember that one summer I didn't come? I was off doing math."

Her dad nodded, pouting. "I missed you so much. But still, I'm glad for you, Saks. You're getting your future together. That's all I care about."

Sakura smiled softly, touched. "Dad, I missed you too."

He turned the car right and continued, "I heard you've decided to focus on a specific art for next year?"

Sakura tucked strands of her pink locks behind her ear. "Actually, I've been doing that since I got admitted, dad."

"Oh, why didn't she tell me this?"

"Uh, well, mom's not really fond of my choices as of now. I'm not surprised she didn't tell you."

Her dad laughed. "She doesn't like it how you went from wanting to be a doctor to some artsy person?"

Sakura nodded, remembering the argument the first time she told her mom she wanted to enroll in the Tokyo Academy of Arts. Her mom blew up. _If I had known you were going to enroll in an art academy, I would have let you stay in Konoha and attend their mediocre high schools! Out of all the elite schools in Tokyo, you settle for the less, an art academy? What a waste of time!_

Noticing the low mood of his daughter, Kizashi asked, "Why don't you explain how your school really works so that I can understand?"

Sakura nodded. "Once you get accepted, you have four months to determine what you want to study. If you already know, then that's less time wasted for you. So while you study that specific art, you also have to meet the requirements which are science, math, history and literature. It's kind of like going to college and making sure you complete the general education requirements."

"Ah, I see now. How long did it take for you to pick what you wanted?"

"Two and a half months."

"What are you studying?"

"...Acting."

Kizashi placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "What's with your hesitance? Don't be so scared, Saks. Do what your heart tells you. I know you'll be a great actress."

She smiled, feeling touched again. "Thanks, dad."

"You'll make it big one day, Saks. I'll be screaming in my old wheelchair, shaking my cane at the tv, saying 'that's my daughter!'"

She laughed, shaking her head. "I hope so too."

* * *

A/N: Good to be back. Summer is here...finally. So, this story is obviously set in the modern (our) world. I just felt like putting Konoha in Japan somewhere, so now it's a little town and not a hidden village. Lol. Sakura's working her way to be an actress. Read and review please. I'll be back with more ;)


	2. Chapter 2

-x-x-x-

After the first time I met him, I came to the river everyday after doing my chores. I just wanted to see if he was going to keep coming back and he did surprisingly. We never talked until a certain day.

Mama and dad were arguing again so I slipped out the back door before running to my secret hiding spot. Usually, I would climb onto the rock and cry or just sit by myself and sulk. Unfortunately, _he_ was sitting there as usual.

I slowed down to a normal pace and grabbed a stick before kicking off my sneakers and yanking my socks off. I sat on the bank of the river, stuffed my feet into the ice cold water. I stabbed the ground continously with the medium sized stick before I began to draw. I drew mama and dad holding hands with smiles on their faces; remembering them arguing back in the hotel, I scratched the pitcure and threw my stick into the river, huffing.

I looked at the boy, wondering what he thought about. Then, I looked at the rock. The one I sat on when I was sad and thought that he shouldn't be hogging it to himself anyways. I climbed up the large rock and crawled towards him. I sat and tapped his shoulder. Today, he was wearing dark shorts and a grey shirt with a high collar, hiding his lower face.

"I need to talk to you," I said as firm as I could.

He turned, looking at me over his shoulder. That stare was unsettling but I scooted closer to him anyways. "You've been hogging the rock."

"Have I?" he asked, confused.

I nodded. "I used to be the only one sitting here, but now that you're here, we have to share. You can't have it all to yourself."

He turned away, pondering my words, and muttered, "I didn't think this rock would be taken." He looked back at me and said, "The rock's big enough for the both of us. We can share."

I leaned away from him, thinking about this. "I like my personal space. We'd have to sit close so no one falls off, you know?"

He nodded. "I'm okay with that."

I frowned...sitting alone wasn't very fun though...maybe I could try sitting with him? "Alright, fine." His eyes moved up and I think he smiled, but his shirt was hiding his mouth so I wasn't sure.

"We can start now," he said.

I got into my sitting position, pulling my knees to my chest and hooked my arms underneath my thighs. I blinked back my tears, thinking that maybe I should have said no because if I did, I could cry by myself and not have to feel embarrassed. But, he was here so I couldn't cry.

To stop thinking about mama and dad, I asked him, "Why are you here?"

He replied without looking at me, "Because it's peaceful and you?"

He turned to look at me. I stared back at him. "I like the sound of the river. It makes me feel good."

"Hn."

"Do you live here?" I asked, tilting my head. "Are you new to Konoha?"

"No, I don't live here. I'm just visiting."

"Oh," I stated. It would be better not to befriend him then since he'd be gone in a while. "Where are your parents?"

"They're working."

"Oh, I understand," I said. I wiggled my toes, stretching my legs.

"What about you?" he asked, still staring at me.

"Huh? What about me?"

"Your parents?" he added.

"Oh. They're working too." I stared at the river, trying to calm my sadness.

"Do you always come here?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Why don't you spend time with your friends? It's summer."

"I don't have any."

"No one?"

"Well, I did have _one_ friend, but she moved away. So, now, I'm back to zero friends," I explained, frowning.

"Hmm... well, we could try to be friends?" he suggested. I looked at him, beaming now, saying, "Really? You want to be friends? With me?"

He shrugged. "Why not? You're nice and pretty." He patted my hair. "Your hair is unique."

I pouted, tugging at my pink locks. "It's ugly. Everyone at school makes fun of my hair."

He shook his head, unzipping the collar of his grey shirt, revealing his mouth and sharp chin. "It really is pretty, not ugly."

"I guess," I muttered, feeling embarrassed now. He turned to look at the river again, skipping a pebble on the surface of the river, and I noticed that he had a pony tail. "Can I touch your hair?"

He instantly looked at me and I leaned back, surprised by his reaction. He gripped my wrist and gently pulled me closer to him. "You would've fallen off the rock." I looked down behind me and nodded, smiling a toothy grin. "Thanks."

"Be more cautious."

"Well, you scared me with your eyes," I retorted, huffing as I crossed my arms, looking away from him. "It's not my fault I was scared."

"...You can touch my hair."

I whirled back to him, grinning even more now. His hair was smooth and kind of long, for a boy. It went to his upper back, almost to the middle of his back. "It's soft."

"I know."

"And really pretty." I held his hair in the sunlight. "And shiny." I let go of his hair and touched my own. "Is mine as soft as yours?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Hmm," I hummed, swinging my feet. "Does your mom know about your hair?"

"Of course, she does. She's my mother."

"So she's okay with it?" I asked. He nodded. "What about your dad?"

"He doesn't mind anymore, as long as I tie it back."

"I think it's beautiful!" I exclaimed. "I kind of wish I had black hair now too."

"Stick with pink; it makes you stand out more."

"Yeah, like a clown. No one else has pink hair."

"That's what makes you special."

"...I guess," I mumbled, feeling my face grow warm. I never thought about it like that. And that was the day, I grew to love my hair because he taught me the importance of self-value.

-x-x-x-

_The present_

Standing in the bathroom, Sakura touched her short, black hair. She closed her emerald eyes, feeling guilty. She had to do what she had to do. No one in Tokyo had pink hair. How was she supposed to become a top notch actress with _pink_ hair? She remembered the day when she finally decided to dye her hair black. That was the day she was accepted by Tokyo Academy.

"There's no point in crying about it now," she murmured, brushing her hair, before she exited. As she walked down the hallway of her dad's house, she heard him shout, "Saks, can you fold those linen in the living room? I need to take it to the hotel tomorrow!"

"Okay, I will!"

-000-

As Sakura folded bed sheets and various linens, she watched the tv closely. It was those types of shows where famous celebrities in Japan were asked to appear and participate in interviews. As a result, the audience seats were usually full and the reviewer ratings were a constant high level.

"Welcome to Celebrity Paradise! I'm your hostess, Karin, and tonight we are glad to present Japan's number one man, Uchiha Itachi! Please clap for him as he comes." The camera man shifted to the audience full of signs and applause as the actor walked onto the stage, taking a seat across from the hostess.

"Good evening, Itachi-san," Karin greeted, smiling as she touched the frames of her glasses.

"Good evening to you and everyone else watching. It's a pleasure to be here," Itachi replied in his rich, velvet voice.

"Oh, you're such a gentleman, Itachi-san. Did you know you were ranked as number 1 for Japan's most desired man?"

"I didn't know that. I've been so preoccupied lately, no time to read the news."

Karin laughed. "Of course, that's understandable. You're a star actor. A very busy man. You must get lots of calls from directors, wanting you to act here and there."

Itachi smiled warmly and shrugged. "It's just the daily life of being an actor; it's nothing too important."

"So modest, Itachi-san! Why don't we take a look at the movie you're going to be in?"

Sakura looked away from the screen. She had heard about him countless times. Not only was he handsome, but he was an expert at acting. She wondered if she could ever make it as high as him. Of course, she had to beat Sasuke first. She gripped the pillow case angrily, remembering the day he broke ties with her.

She was thirteen, living with her mom in Tokyo for already three years, and attended a public middle school. It wasn't elite like her mom wanted but it wasn't terrible. She met Sasuke when they were both eleven and since then, she had been head over heels for him which was why she made sure she attended the same middle school as him. She'd make him bento boxes for lunch, study with him, go watch Naruto's and his games, cheer him up when he was down, listen to him bitch when he was upset; she would do anything for him. Heck, she was happy that they were even friends, just thinking about them _dating_ could give her a nosebleed.

Sakura sighed, muttering under her breath, "I was young and naive and stupid." She continued to fold another bed sheet.

At the end of middle school, a couple weeks before their promotion, she was walking up the stairs to the rooftop of the school and stopped to slowly, quietly open the door. She wanted to surprise Sasuke with the bento box she made for him. She stayed up late the night before just to make it look nice.

She creaked the door open a bit and stopped as she heard him say, "Sakura? You're talking about the pink-haired girl? She's nothing to me. We're just-what did you say, Ino?"

Sakura gripped the cloth containing the bento box tightly.

"Okay, well, whoever told you that we were dating was stupid and severely misinformed! They're probably trying break us apart. I don't even like her! I only did because my mom told me to be nice to her. She's never lived in the city and she's really clueless. Ignorant!"

Sakura bit her lip, casting her eyes downward. She touched her hair. It was long and nicely groomed just for Sasuke's taste. That bastard.

"Naruto told you that she cooks lunch for me? Okay. She does. What's so bad about that?"

Sakura felt her heart jump. Maybe he was going to defend her? Things were going to change, right? They were good friends and friends stuck out for each other. He had to.

"No, I don't eat the lunch because I love her! I don't even love her much less like her! She's fucking annoying as hell, Ino! What more can I say? I only eat the bento because I don't want to have her all over me and fucking pressing me to eat it, okay!"

Sakura wiped the tears away from her eyes. She wasn't pushy, was she? All she did was smile and give him his lunch! He took it willingly; he even complimented her before! Was she that annoying? And here she thought he was her friend.

"There's nothing going on between us! She's like a housekeeper, cooks at my demand. That's all... Look, I'll cut it off with her today. I'll see you tonight." He hung up, sighing in annoyance, and kicked something making it crash. Sakura stepped away from the door, thinking he might come. Instead, she heard him talking to Naruto on his phone.

"Fucking Dobe! You dip shit! Why did you tell Ino about Sakura?"

Sakura took a step closer. It was bad to eavesdrop, but she had to know.

"Are you sure you weren't the one who told Ino that Sakura and I were dating?... Are you lying to me? If you are, I will kick your ass once I find you!... Then who was it?"

Sakura began to walk away from the door, not wanting to hear anymore. Her heart was shattering. She never told Sasuke that she loved him. All she did was be his friend. She never pushed their relationship, she was too afraid to do that. She didn't want to lose her friends.

"When did I say I wanted to date Sakura?"

Sakura stopped moving, stiffening. She gripped the rail and looked over her shoulder, staring up at the door.

"Kiba said that I said that? Where, when...at the party? I don't even remember saying that about her... I was not drunk! No, I wasn't! Are you making a joke right now? I'm going to kill you!"

Sakura walked out of the building and sat on an empty bench. Middle school was going to be done. Just two more weeks and then she would attend a different high school. This time, she would make sure it was one where Sasuke wasn't at. She opened Sasuke's bento, now hers, and ate it. For the first time, she could say that she did a really good job. She never really bothered to cook herself a bento because after making his bento, she was usually exhausted.

A couple minutes later, Naruto appeared and sat next to her. He was slurping on his ramen when he noticed her lunch. "Wow, Sakura-chan, that's really nice! You made it, didn't you?"

She smiled and nodded. "You want some?"

"Can I?" His blue eyes widened.

"Of course. I can make you one tomorrow if you want," she said. He nodded eagerly. She watched him pick whatever he wanted and felt bad that she hadn't thought to make him one before. She smiled, reminding herself that she'd be more open minded and less revolved around Sasuke. He wasn't the center of her world, or the world in general. It's just that he was the first person she met when she moved to Tokyo and he helped her a lot, especially when getting adjusted to a city life.

"Dobe," Sasuke said, appearing suddenly. His brows were furrowed in anger. He was pissed. What was Naruto doing?

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted. "Sorry, I didn't make you a lunch today. I was busy last night."

"Tch, I don't care."

Sakura was taken aback by his sudden change in attitude; Naruto eyed him suspiciously. "What's the matter, Teme? Why are you acting like you got a stick up your ass?"

"Don't stick your nose in other people's business, Dobe. This is between Sakura and I."

Sakura arched her brows. "What's the matter, Sasuke-kun?" She eyed him with fake curiousity, when in reality, she was wondering when he was going to break the news to her. Would he do it in front of Naruto?

"Sakura," and then his stomach growled. Sakura smiled and said, "You must be hungry. Here, you can have some of my lunch. There's still some left." She got up and walked over to him with her bento in hand. Naruto told him to try some as if he never had Sakura's home-made bento before. "It's really good, Sasuke-Teme. She let me try some. Try it!"

"If you were hungry, you could have told me," she said, giggling. "There's no need to be shy. We're all friends, right?" She smiled, wondering what he would say. Naruto hopped off the bench and walked over, wrapping an arm around Sasuke casually. Sakura extended the bento to Sasuke, waiting for him to take it.

Naruto laughed and continued to talk to Sakura as they waited. Suddenly, Sasuke shoved Naruto away from him and smacked the bento box away from him with the back of his hand. "I'm tired of eating this shit."

Sakura took a step back, eyeing the fallen food she worked so hard on. Naruto got up, glaring at his best friend. "What the hell, Teme? You better apologize to Sakura!"

"Or else what?"

"I'll beat the shit out of you, Teme!"

"Hn."

"What's the matter with you, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, keeping her voice calm and steady. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Tch, don't act like you're not the problem, Sakura! It's your fucking fault this is happening!" He glared at her. Naruto stepped between them and held his arms out. "Teme, you need to calm down. Don't break your bonds over this tiny thing."

"Shut up, Dobe."

Sakura moved away from Naruto, getting angry. "If you got a problem, say it, Sasuke."

He smirked at her. "Oh, trying to act tough now?"

"Well? Spit it out," Sakura retorted. "There's not enough time in the world for you alone."

"Don't hang out with us anymore. Don't associate with us. Don't ever fucking talk to me again," Sasuke demanded. Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "You went through all this drama to tell me this?"

Sasuke glared at her and she said, "I can do that. Don't think you're all high and mighty, Sasuke. You're the one throwing a hissy fit."

"Hn. You're a waste of time, Sakura. You're never going to catch me. I'm in a different world than you."

Sakura smirked, eyeing him darkly. "Well, then, I'll just have to enter your world and beat you senseless. You think I'm just a dumb, plain, little-town girl? Watch, one day, you'll be eating my dust, Sasuke. Mark my words."

She turned to leave, looked back at the fallen bento and pointed at it. "You break it, you keep it."

Shaking her head, Sakura slammed a fist on the table. That was three freaking years ago and she was still pissed. He was belittling her and she hated that feeling! The feeling of being inferior, especially since she was being so nice to him. They were friends, at least that's what she thought. Ugh, she felt so dumb back then. She stood up, grabbing all of the linen, and walked out of the room.

-000-

"You're twenty years old now, Itachi-san. How does that feel?" Karin asked.

"Everything feels the same. Days go by, my life is the usual."

"Any special woman in your life yet?" Karin inquired, glancing at the camera.

"No, not right now. I'm only 20."

"_Only_ 20? You're able to get married at this age! Are you sure there's no women you're interested in as of now?"

"No, if there was I would have described her to you already," Itachi replied smoothly. The crowd of girls sqeualed and some one screamed out, "So romantic!"

Watching Celebrity Paradise, Uchiha Sasuke shut off the tv with a scowl. So, Itachi was number 1 _again_? This made him angry, where was he on the list? Sasuke searched on his phone, trying to figure his rank, and slammed a pillow onto the gound. He slumped on the couch, muttering, "I'm rank 9? How is he rank 1!"

He rolled onto his side, shutting his eyes, as he thought. He was the lead singer for Rookie. He could play any guitar, what was wrong with him? He was charming, good at catching girls' hearts. He was popular. What did Itachi have that he didn't?

Sasuke sighed. He needed to beat Itachi.

* * *

A/N: review. I'd love to hear your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

-x-x-x-

I layed on the grass next to him, staring up at blue sky with my hands tucked behind my head. "I'm so glad you finally got off the big rock. Seeing you on it makes me sad."

I turned my head to look at him, sitting with his legs criss-crossed. He sat very straight and tall, like he was a prince. I quirked a brow, wondering why he had to always sit like that. He stared at the river, asking, "Why are you sad to see me on it?"

"Because that big rock," I pointed to it, "is only meant to be sat on when you're feeling sad, did you know that?"

He turned to stare at the rock with an expression I didn't understand. I asked, "Are you sad?"

"I don't know, maybe."

I sat up, confused. "How do you not know if you're sad?"

He shrugged. I grabbed his hand, bigger than my own, and squeezed it. "You can tell me when you're sad, you know? I'm your friend." I gave him one of my brightest smiles and he nodded with his dark eyes widening a bit.

"Anyways," I said, changing the subject for his own sake because he probably didn't want to spill the beans at the moment, "why do you sit like that?"

He tilted his head, making his pony tail swish. "What do you mean? I'm just sitting."

I shook my head. "You sit like a prince!" I covered my mouth. I didn't just say that, did I?

He quirked his dark brows, smiling slowly. "Am I a prince to you?"

I shook my head fervidly. He leaned closer to me, narrowing his eyes. "Liar."

"I am not!"

He retreated from me. "Then, tell me the truth."

I pouted, shutting my eyes as I hid my face from him. "Okay... I think you're a fairy prince!"

"What?"

I turned to look at him, seeing a surprised look on his face. "You're a fairy prince. You have long hair like the fairy prince in my book; you're mysterious and nice and kind. Are your ears pointy?" I closed the small distance between us, brushed his hair away from his ear, and found that his ears were shaped like a human's.

"Hmm...you have human ears. That's weird, I really thought you were a fairy." I sat back down, crossing my legs, and frowned. He shook his head in disbelief. I snapped my fingers, suddenly realizing it. "You're hiding your pointy ears so no one knows you're a fairy prince!"

He widened his eyes. I beamed. "Don't worry, fairy prince, I'll keep your secret safe and sound!"

"I'm not-"

"Don't deny it, fairy-chan! I figured out your secret. It's not nice to lie to your friends," I said, clucking my tongue. "Why can't you trust me? Fairies are real because you're real. I promise I'll be a good girl!"

He stared at me for some minutes, looking troubled, and sighed. "Fine, I'll trust you."

I hugged him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how happy I am, fairy-chan."

"My name's not fairy-chan." I let go of him and shook my head, pressing my hands to my ears. "Fairy-chan! I don't want to know your name."

"Why?" he asked with a smile gracing his lips.

"Because you're a fairy. If you tell me your name, then you'll be trapped in this world forever. You won't be able to go home to your kingdom then. I don't want your fairies to come after me! Mad fairies are scary, I've read about them in my books!" I explained, shivering in fear.

He placed his hands on the grass, leaning back as he stared at me. "I suppose."

"_You_ wouldn't be scared because they listen to you. I'm just a little human girl, they could eat me if they wanted, you know that, right?" I asked.

"I might have heard something like that," he replied.

I stared at him, my mind racing now. You don't get to meet a fairy prince everyday. "Fairy-chan... how old are you?"

"Ten."

"Are you really ten? How long have you been ten?"

"I'm really ten, been ten years old for ten years."

"You're not lying to me, are you?" I questioned.

"Why would I? We're friends, aren't we?"

I nodded, smiling again. "Yes, we are, fairy-chan!"

-x-x-x-

_The present_

"You're so beautiful," Reiko murmured as she brushed Sakura's short hair and clipped it with an elegant ornament. She brushed stray strands away from the girl's face. "You can open your eyes now."

Sakura opened her emerald eyes, finding them even more beautiful now, and covered her mouth with her hands. "I look pretty, Reiko! Thank you so much! You should become a makeup stylist!"

Reiko laughed, waving at the teen, and said, "I'm too old and besides who'd help your dad if I was gone?"

Sakura smiled. "You do have a good point, Reiko." She stared at the mirror, watching herself, and grew somber. "My dad...was it hard for him when I left? I feel so bad, Reiko. I should have stayed and helped him with the hotel."

Reiko frowned. "Saki, honey, you don't need to worry about that. Your dad can fend for himself; he's a grown man. He has me. I'm always here to lend him a hand."

"I know," Sakura said, her finger gracing her cheek. "I just-I don't know, I feel like I hurt him."

"No, Saki, he completely understands. He wants you to continue doing what you're doing. Don't stop because of him. He'll always be watching you and so will I." Reiko began to put the makeup set away.

Sakura nodded and stared back at her reflection. "You're right, Reiko." She got up and hugged the older woman. "Thank you for helping my dad all this time."

"No problem, Saki. Now, you go on out there and greet our customers." Reiko smoothened the teen's blue kimono and fixed the black obi around her waist. "I'll be out in a bit."

-000-

Sakura graced upon the smooth, hard wood floor with ease and grace. Her blue kimono was the perfect size. Everything flowed around her feet, no fabric lingered behind her moving form. She placed her hands in front of her, looking like a 'v'. She leveled her chin and softened her gaze, immersing herself in her younger days.

"Now, Sakura, when a customer comes, you bow and greet them. You always smile and never be disrespectful," Mebuki explained, placing a hand on her hip. She wore an orange kimono with white flowers. The young Sakura sat staring at her mother, completely enchanted.

"Mama, you look like a japanese fairy!" the little girl cried out. Mebuki broke into a smile.

"You, Sakura, look like a japanese angel with your pink hair and white kimono." She sat next to Sakura, pulling her small frame into her arms, and cradled her with love.

"Sakura, hurry up, will you?" Mei demanded. "What's with the wait?"

Sakura snapped out of her reverie and noticed that she wasn't walking anymore, just standing in the middle of the hallway. She finally noticed the elderly employee walking past her. The teen smiled and bowed to the old woman. "My bad, Mei-san. I was daydreaming again."

"I know, now get going before anyone appears at the entrance. Lunch will be ready at noon. Be there fast or else there'll be no food left for you, got that?" Mei set her sharp eyes on Sakura who silently nodded, feeling the older woman's penetrating stare. It had been so long since she saw Mei.

"Good." With that said, the cook walked to the right wing where the kitchen was located. Sakura smiled, knowing that even if she was late, Mei would still save her food. She always did.

-000-

"Welcome to KonoHotel, did you already make a reservation or would you like to make one?" Megumi asked the half-masked man standing in front of her. She wasn't sure whether she should be suspicious of him or not. Who wore masks in public like this? Hopefully, he wasn't trying to rob her.

"I already reserved two rooms, Miss."

"Name please," Megumi said, her thin fingers already placed on the keyboard. She looked at him expectantly.

"Hatake Kakashi."

"Please wait a moment, Hatake-san." Megumi searched his name in the computer system and nodded. "Ah. Here you are. You're order is correct. Two rooms; each room containing two beds, am I correct, sir?"

"Yes."

"Would you like any help carrying your luggage to your rooms?"

"No, thank you."

Megumi smiled. "Alright, then, your reserved rooms are 201 and 202. I will have one of our employees guide you and your friends to your rooms." She looked around and spotted a kimono-clad Sakura gliding towards her with grace.

Arriving in front of the customers, Sakura bowed with a smile on her lips. "Good morning, I will be the showing you where your rooms are." Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his eyes crinkling. Noticing his smile, Sakura bid goodbye to the clerk and led them out of the room and into a hallway.

"Rooms 201 and 202 are located on the third floor," Sakura said, leading them to an elevator. She pushed her right sleeve back with gentle force and pressed the button, waiting for the door to silde open. She looked at the guests, wondering if they were sick since all five of them wore masks.

The door slid open and they all boarded the elevator. She stood next to the plate of buttons, facing the five males. Kakashi wore a black mask whereas the other four wore white masks, the ones you wore when cleaning dusty places. "KonoHotel offers treatment if you are feeling ill. Green tea can help soothe sore throats or temporary colds. There are also spas here as well as hot springs, divided by gender of course. There's also a miniature cafe for guests."

"I'll keep that in mind. If any of my boys get sick, I know where to send them now," Kakashi said coolly.

Sakura smiled, replying, "Yes, sir. That includes you too. We look after the health of our guests."

The blonde snickered and Sakura found herself being reminded of Naruto. She looked at the guy standing next to the blonde. He was a couple inches taller than the blonde and exuded a broody aura. His dark eyes and...what was with his hair? The moment she spotted his chicken-butt hairstyle, she knew she was standing in the same elevator as Uchiha Sasuke.

The elevator stopped, sliding its doors open. Sakura kept a smiling face and walked out of the machine. She kept her back to them as she continued to lead them to their rooms. _Sasuke Uchiha, oh, how long I have waited for this moment. I'd love to punch you in the face right now._

She stopped in front of their rooms and cheerfully said, "Here we are. Rooms 201 and 202. Have a nice stay at KonoHotel, gentlemen." _My ass!_

She sidestepped around them and ceased in the middle of her tracks, remembering to say, "If you need anything, you can call for room service or find a nearby employee. Good luck with your Suna concert, _Rookie_." With that said, the teen gracefully walked away and took cover in the elevator.

-000-

After the black haired girl disappeared, the blonde yanked his white mask away from his face. "Sasuke-Teme, she knew we were Rookie!"

"Shut up, Dobe."

"Hopefully, she won't go around telling people that we're here," Neji muttered, pulling his own mask down. He walked into room 202 with Shikamaru who yawned lazily before saying, "We're only going to be here for two days."

"Alrighty, little boys, go to your rooms," Kakashi instructed as he opened room 201 for Sasuke and Naruto.

"Eh, what about you, Kakashi!" Naruto demanded.

He chuckled, pulling out an orange book. "I'm going out to have some peace, away from you boys." He walked away from them and said, "Oh and if I find out that you wandered off the hotel grounds, I'm driving all four of you back to Tokyo, got it?" He turned to give them an evil glare, causing Naruto and Sasuke to shiver.

"B-but sensei, why us two?" Naruto asked. "Why aren't you being mean to Shikamaru and Neji?"

"Because Shikamaru's too lazy to step a foot out his room much less the hotel property and Neji, well, he's a lot more mature than the two of you combined. He actually _listens_ to me unlike some people I know," Kakashi easily said. Sasuke quirked a brow and gave their manager an angry look. The masked man simply waved goodbye and disappeared.

Naruto turned to look at his pissed buddy, patting him on the shoulder. "Teme, I think Kakashi was a ninja in his previous life."

"Hn."

-000-

Meanwhile a certain girl was radiating dark, angry waves in the elevator.

"Tch, that guy!" Sakura muttered, kicking the wall of the elevator. "I didn't even get to smash his face into the wall! He didn't even recognize me!"

She glared at the door with her fists clenching her kimono.

"Maybe I shouldn't have dyed my hair black? If it was pink, then he definitely would have known it was me, right?" she murmured, scratching her head. She thought some more to herself and wound up stomping her foot on the ground. "No! This is all a part of my plan. I'm going to get my revenge! He doesn't need to recognize me now, not yet."

She nodded to herself, chuckling maniacally with a tint of evilness. When she stalked out of the elevator, huffing, and turned a corner, two of her fellow employees unknowingly walked into the same elevator she just walked out of.

"Uh, N-nami, what's with this elevator?" Aoi asked, feeling stifled by the heavy atmosphere.

"I don't know...ya think it's h-haunted?" Nami replied. _I feel so heavy, so dark._

-000-

"Teme, I'm so booooored!" Naruto whined, lying on the couch. He sat up and peeked over the couch slowly. "T-teme?"

"Nine, me?" Sasuke mumbled incoherently. He had his hands stuck in his messy hair, his head in the palms of his hands. "Rank nine, me, why?...how?"

Naruto hunched his legs closer to his body. He hated it when Sasuke was like this because it scared the crap out of him. What if he tried to kill him! The blonde shook his head, trying to remain sane. Naruto got up, deciding to go spend some time with Neji and Shikamaru.

He only took two steps when Sasuke asked, "Dobe, where are you going?"

Naruto mechanically turned his head to look at his friend. "Uh..um, I'm going to spend some quality time with Shikamaru?"

"Really?" Sasuke asked, leaning back in his chair. Naruto gulped, he swore the light hanging on Sasuke's side of the room just flickered.

"Well, I'm just gonna go now, Teme." Naruto zipped out of the room fast as lightning. The door slammed shut with a loud thud. Sasuke plopped onto his bed, glaring at the ceiling. "Stupid Itachi."

-000-

After eating lunch, Sakura switched out of her kimono and donned a simple white T-shirt and faded blue jeans. She remained wearing her sandals and grabbed the bucket of linen in the large, private laundry room. She sauntered out the back door, descended the mini set of stairs, and walked to the lines of hanging wires.

"Time to dry you up, sheets," she murmured, bending down to pick a white bed sheet.

In the middle of her chore, Sakura turned around to look at Nami and Aoi who bounced towards her with happiness all over their faces. Sakura turned away, blinded by their light. _How can they be so happy when I'm so miserable?That damn Sasuke. Even his presence makes me irked. I'm being deprived of my happiness._ She sighed.

"Sakura-chan! Aoi and I are going to Rookie's concert this weekend in Suna!" Nami exclaimed, jumping up and down in delight.

"Good for you, Nami." Sakura smiled. _I hate them with my guts...well, just a certain someone._

"Don't you want to go?" Aoi asked, hanging a black bed sheet.

Sakura shook her head. "I have better stuff to do."

"Don't you like them?"

Sakura snorted. "I never listened to their music before."

"Ehh!" the two girls shouted.

Sakura winced, shoving a hand in their faces. "Lower noise level please. You act like I've never heard of them."

"Have you?" Aoi demanded. Her face grew brighter and Sakura found herself wanting to hide in a dark hole, cursing Sasuke while making voodoo dolls.

"I have heard of them."

"Have you seen them?" Nami asked, adding to the brightness. Sakura turned away from them, hanging a cloth. She made a strangled face. _How could I not? They're all over Tokyo, on billboards, on magazines, on the damn internet, everywhere!_

She turned back to Nami and replied, "Of course, I've seen them...on magazines."

"They're not just only on magazines, Sakura-chan, but I digress. So, who do you like?"

"Ehh!" Sakura cried out in disgust. "L-like? Why would I like them!"

Nami waved at the girl half-heartedly. "I mean, just based off their looks." She looked at the frozen Sakura and waved a hand. "Uh, Sakura?"

Breaking her statue form, Sakura shook her head and said, "None of them fit my taste."

"How can that be?" Aoi asked. "You have to like at least one of them!"

"No, I don't." Sakura placed a hand on her hip. "You don't have to like every single band you listen to."

"Well, that makes sense..." Aoi murmured, biting her nails. She grinned and suddenly said, "I love Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura facepalmed. "...W-why is that?"

Aoi placed a finger on her chin, jutting her hip outwards. "Well...he's really cute for one." _Maybe, but once you see his true self that cuteness will melt away, Aoi-chan! He's a devil in disguise...I feel bad for your pure heart. May it not be broken into shards like mine._

"He's kind and gentle!" _Hell NO! Where in the world does that come from? Sasuke and kindness do not come hand in hand! At all!_

Sakura forced a smile. "And?"

"He's incredibly good at singing! He puts all his emotions into his songs. You have to listen to him sing, Sakura-chan! It'll make your heart break!" Sakura laughed skeptically in her mind._ Yeah, it'll break my heart, Aoi-chan...because of his terrible singing skills! Muahahaha!...is he really that good though?_

Sakura turned to look at Nami. "What about you?"

Nami smiled dreamily with a hint of shyness. "I like Neji-kun. He's very mature and polite...but a lot of people don't like him because he comes off as arrogant. I don't think he's arrogant. He just has very strong beliefs." _Hmm...arrogance?...that sounds more like Sasuke._

After finishing her chore with Nami and Aoi, Sakura rode the bus back to her dad's house and hopped into her bed, unable to fall asleep. She rolled onto her side, curling into a ball.

_How am I supposed to beat Sasuke? He's already a star singer. _

She rolled flat on her back. "I need to step up my game if I really want to win."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to the first 5 reviewers :D

You made my day. And, of course, special thanks to those who favorited and followed ;)

Review...please ^-^


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